Gophers basketball: Preseason NIT, with just eight teams, 'in flux'

Coach Richard Pitino of the Minnesota Golden Gophers celebrates from the bench against the Southern Methodist Mustangs during 2014 NIT Championship at Madison Square Garden on April 3, 2014, in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

The Gophers are still hoping to play in the Preseason NIT in New York in November, but the situation is "in flux," Minnesota men's basketball coach Richard Pitino said Tuesday.

"We're hoping it all works out," Pitino said during a news conference to talk about his team's offseason. "It's a little bit in flux right now. We're pretty confident it's all going to work out.

"They couldn't get 16 teams, (and that's) what they were looking for. What you want is two home games and two neutral-site games."

The Preseason NIT, officially named the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament, is scheduled for late November, with semifinal and championship games Nov. 26 and Nov. 28. Eight teams are currently in the field: Minnesota, Georgia, Gonzaga, St. John's, LIU-Brooklyn, St. Joseph's, Stony Brook and Western Kentucky.

ESPN's Andy Katz reported last week that the tournament was "scrambling" to find more teams. Teams scheduled to host first-round games are the Gophers, Georgia, Gonzaga and St. John's.

In the regular format, the four teams would have to win two home games each to earn a spot in the semifinals and championship game at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Under the current format, with eight teams, there would be only one round of games at the host schools' sites.

"There's a chance the NIT could lose two or three of these hosts if it's not the tournament they signed up for," Katz said.

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Pitino said Tuesday that he hopes he doesn't have to back out of the tournament, especially because it's a chance for the Gophers to return to the site where they won a postseason NIT championship last season.

"We want to make it work," Pitino said. "We played in the Garden last year. It was a great experience. Playing in the Garden is always fun for our players."

Bigger, better

On the progress of his players in the weight room, Pitino said point guard DeAndre Mathieu put on "13 pounds of muscle."

Mathieu, a 5-foot-9 senior who became a father this summer, was the team's most valuable player last season after transferring from junior college.

Newcomer Carlos Morris has made the biggest strides physically, gaining 17 pounds since arriving on campus this summer. He showed up weighing 160 pounds.

Morris, a 6-6, 180-pound swingman from Chipola College (Fla.), is expected to replace departed senior Austin Hollins in the starting lineup.

"That was huge," Pitino said. "But he still needs to put on more (weight), obviously."

Pitino vs. Pitino

Louisville and Minnesota will face each other in the Nov. 14 season opener at a Coast Guard hangar in Puerto Rico. But the programs also are finalizing a home-and-home deal that would put Pitino against his father, Cardinals coach Rick Pitino, again starting in 2015-16, ESPN's Jeff Goodman reported Tuesday. Goodman said the first game would be at Louisville.

Injury report

Pitino said sophomore forward Charles Buggs won't be available for full contact practice until late September after having minor knee surgery in the offseason.